1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to a deep fat food fryer having an exterior container for pre-warming cooking fat, to a pre-warmer for food cooking fat, and to a method of pre-warming food cooking fat.
2. The Prior Art
Commercial food cooking fat typically comes in solid form because solid form is less costly than the liquid cooking oils which are popular for domestic use.
Deep fat fryers need to be periodically refilled during use and while food is being cooked. It is the cooking of food that consumes the oil. Specifically when food is being cooked, as food is removed a certain amount of cooking oil is also removed. When food is not being cooked, oil is not being used. In some circumstances solid type cooking oil has a further advantage in that the cooker can be transported filled with solid phase oil and there is no danger of spillage. This is particularly important for carnival equipment and special event equipment for sidewalk sales, fund raisers, private parties and the like.
To refill a cooker, when using solid cooking oil, the oil needs to be scooped with a ladle, spatula, spoon or the like and it must be heated before placement into the vat of the cooker. The temperture of the cooking oil is very important. If the oil is too cool, the food becomes soggy when cooked and has too high an oil content. The customer is unhappy and the retailer loses excessive oil and repeat sales. Typically centralized and complete kitchens pre-heat their cooking oil in a separate pot on a separate stove. This can be easily done in a kitchen but cannot be done in a small stand or concession not having a separate range. Further, over heating of oil is a common occurance during pre-warming. The oil smokes, and begins polymerization and is irreversibly thermally stressed. This is common to both liquid and solid cooking oils.
Then, the pre-heated oil may have to be carried from a remote range to the cooker and the opportunity for spillage and personal injury arises.
It should be understood that cooking oil and cooking fat and cooking grease are one and the same thing; it just depends upon whom you're talking to. Food cooker and food fryer are also different terms for the same thing.